Today when you woke up, it seemed you had grown a foot overnight. The pants you wore last week (your favourites) are suddenly 4 inches too short. Last year you were one of the shortest at school, I’m wondering if this year you’ll be one of the tallest in your class…

No matter the temperature, my kids want in the pool. Wrinkly feet, water logged. Eman’s confidence in the water is already improving, day 1 he put his face in holding his nose, now he can swim underwater the length of the pool (it’s a few metres) He’s so happy with himself, all I hear is “MUM! look at this, MUM! look at me!!”

New Years Day. Day two of the “heat wave”. It wasn’t as “hot” as the day before, but the sun was extreme. Kris & the girls came over and the 4 younger ones were like little spitfires, running everywhere, off in a land of their own. Eman and the girls were testing us, by playing ON the stairs after making it clear that were not to play upstairs. They did this naturally when I caught their attention. Ash came running along, so whilst I didn’t technically stage this, it did require the bribe of a lolly to get them all looking at me at once!